A blue-green algae bloom that causes toxins that can be harmful to humans and animals has been detected in Warwick Pond, and a 15-year resident of the area, Philip D’Erole, believes the newly completed playing fields at Winslow Park is the cause of the problem.

In a release issued Tuesday, the Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Management advised people to avoid contact with pond water.

“People should also be careful not to ingest water or eat fish from the pond. Pets can also be affected by exposure to the algal toxins and thus owners should not allow pets to drink this water or swim in the water,” reads the advisory. It goes on to say irritation of the skin, nose, eyes and/or throat are common side effects that result from skin contact with water containing algal toxins. If water containing algal toxins is ingested, health effects include stomachache, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.

D’Erole is looking for answers and has planned a meeting for Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Warwick Public Library. He plans to invite city officials as well as DEM and HEALTH officials, officials from leagues that will be using Winslow Park, the Buckeye Brook Coalition and president and CEO of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation Kelly Fredericks.

D’Erole first noticed changes in pond water color in July and contacted Linda Green, program director URI watershed watch. He sent her photographs and she responded that she thought it could be a blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) bloom. When conditions worsened D’Erole again alerted Green who in turn informed DEM about July 30. D’Erole related a frustrating exchange of emails and calls and even a visit by an intern sent to look at the pond before DEM finally tested the water.

D’Erole’s concern Tuesday was that people living on the pond – about 80 houses have pond frontage – know of the condition. He said he saw children and adults swimming as well as tubing on the pond over the weekend. His second objective is to identify the source of the problem and have authorities take action so that the condition isn’t repeated next year.

“This is not a witch hunt. I want to know why it happened, identify the culprit,” he said. “My concern is this could be the start and it could happen every year and every year we could lose the season on the pond.”

According to Elizabeth Scott, DEM deputy chief in water resources, a total of six ponds in Rhode Island have tested for blue-green algae blooms this summer. That compares with seven last year and four in 2013. She said hot, sunny weather provides perfect conditions for blooms assisted by a “nutrient enrichment situation.”

Scott said many of the same ponds experience a blue-green algae bloom year after year.

D’Erole said this is the first time he has seen a bloom in Warwick Pond and, according to neighbors who have lived there 35 years, there’s never been anything like it. D’Erole has closely followed developments at Green Airport, including the extension of the safety zone on the crosswind runway requiring the filling in of wetlands, a new culvert at the north end of the lake at Lakeshore Drive, Airport Road work for a signalized intersection to the maintenance garage and Winslow Park service road and the restoration of wetlands. He sees none of those projects as contributing the phosphorous and nitrogen that would feed an algae bloom. But he thinks the new soccer and softball fields at the top of the hill are the source of the problem. Although he said the Rhode Airport Corporation assured there were sufficient retention basins, he said in heavy downpours the water pours off the fields and ends up in the pond.

“I’m looking at all the projects they’re doing and narrowed it down to the ball fields and the sod they put down,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of airport projects impacting pond water quality, Scott said, “At this point we don’t have any evidence of a source contributing to the problem.” She said airport watershed projects have met compliance inspections.

Scott said there appears to be no lasting effects of a bloom on pond fish and animals, although once the algae dies and starts decomposing it could lower the water’s dissolved oxygen. She could not say whether the bloom might affect the survival of herring fry. Buckeye Brook, which flows from the pond, is a herring run and the pond serves as a nursery for the newborn fish before they leave to mature in the ocean.

“The work RIAC is doing on the stream restoration and culvert replacement upstream of Warwick Pond is intended to significantly improve fish passage and water quality,” reads a statement released yesterday by RIAC spokeswoman Rebecca Pazienza Bromberg.  According to RIAC, the Winslow Park Athletic complex has a closed drainage system that is not directly connected to Warwick Pond or Buckeye Brook.  In addition, the statement said in accordance with the RIPDES permit, “We have conducted outfall sampling twice in the last three months.”

RIAC says it is in compliance with its RIPDES storm water discharge permit. “We have reached out to RIDEM and offered whatever assistance we can to help them determine the cause of the bloom occurrence.”

Scott offered no estimate on how long the bloom might last. She said the advisory remains in effect until Nov. 1 and that unless the city or the residents wanted to have the water tested at their expense no further tests are planned by DEM. The lack of budget funding was cited as the reason. She said the bloom would certainly die with the first frost.

According to the advisory, rarer effects of coming in contact with the algae or ingesting it include dizziness, headache, fever, liver damage and nervous system damage. People who have been swimming in or otherwise in contact with Warwick Pond and experience those symptoms should contact their healthcare provider.

The advisory suggests those coming in contact with pond water rinse their skin with clean water as soon as possible, to shower and wash their clothes.

“Similarly,” it reads, “if your pet comes in contact with the water, immediately wash your pet off with clean water. Do not let the animal lick algae off of its fur. Call a veterinarian if your animal shows any symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning, which include loss of energy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea or any unexplained sickness that occurs within a day or so after being in contact with water. People are cautioned that toxins may persist in the water after the blue-green algae bloom is no longer visible.”